Pretty in pink: spring in Vancouver

What to do in Vancouver in spring

Spring in Vancouver means cherry blossoms! Sunny days are slowly coming back, temperatures are somewhat warm(er), night markets are back, soccer and baseball are on again, you can eat on restaurants’ patios without freezing and everything is in bloom.

Spring is a good season to do the touristy things in town: cycle the seawall in Stanley Park, enjoy a drink in Gastown, walk through Granville Island and False Creek, visit the Sun Yat-Sen Gardens in Chinatown, chill on a bench with a book in Coal Harbour or on the big double lounges at Science World, pose with the sails or with the big orca at Canada Place. Spring is perfect for my off the beaten path tour as well.

Cherry blossoms hunting

If you’re into cherry blossoms, you won’t be disappointed. Head to Queen Elizabeth Park or Stanley Park for a traditional picnic under the trees: the flowers are gorgeous and you’ll get some beautiful shots.

The Nitobe Gardens at UBC are a hidden gem: peaceful, suggestive and rarely crowded, they are a nice getaway if you want to enjoy a beautiful scenery in a quiet environment.

The VanDusen Botanical Gardens organize a Japanese festival every year in April: it’s a jubilation of pink! You can take pictures under the cherry trees, try traditional Japanese food, participate in workshops (calligraphy, flower arrangement, haiku composition and so on) and watch live performances. And you could even get to meet Totoro!

The best thing you can do if you have some time to spare is to go on a cherry blossoms hunt wandering around random avenues. This way, you’ll get experience a more authentic side of the city. Some ideas on where to start are here.

Go to a Whitecaps game

Soccer may not be as big and popular as in Europe, but the atmosphere inside BC Place is still pretty spectacular! The MSL championship starts in March and ends in October, so spring is the perfect season to cheer on the home team, have a drink and some fun.

Richmond Night Market and similar

Stock up on socks and stuff your face for a night, trying all sorts of Asian foods at the Richmond Night Market. Starting in May, the market features a lot of food stands, performances by local artists and giant inflatable dinosaurs all over the place. And don’t miss the stands selling all kinds of useless cheap stuff! Great for a couple of hours of random fun and if you need to buy cheap colorful socks.

Sports on the beach or golf

While it may still be too cold for sunbathing and swimming, spring offers the perfect weather for some beach volley, beach soccer, yoga, cardio sessions or whatever your favourite sport is. After that, you can relax with a well-deserved refreshing drink and beautiful sunset views.

And if you are a golf player, there are options for you as well! Within bus reach, you can choose between the UBC golf course and the Langara golf course for a full game, or Queen Elizabeth Park and Stanley Park pitch and putt for a shorter and newbie-friendlier version of the game.